Electric razor



L. SCRUGGS ELECTRIC RAZOR Filed larch 20, 1937 May 21, 1940.

2 Sheet-Sheet 1 I/vvz-nvrom Lam ficnusss /MK ATTORNEY L. SCRUGGS ELECTRIC RAZOR Filed larch 20, 1937 May 21, 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR. Lam SCRUGGS ATTORNEY I Patented May 21, 1940 a UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to razors of the type conimonly referred to as electric razors, that com-3 prise a stationary cutter which coacts with a movable cutter that is moved relatively to the stationary cutter by an electric motor, vibrator or equivalent electrically operated or mechanically operated means, and particularly razors of the kind that are now being used extensively for re-' moving hair or whiskers from skin without the aid of water, soap-lather, shaving cream or a similar medium. i

The main object of my invention is to provide a razor of the dry shaver type that issimple in design, inexpensive to manufacture and of such construction that the hairs or whiskers will be severed rapidly, flush with the surface of the skin,

' without liability of cutting, nicking, pinching or abrading the skin. Other objects of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the razor herein illustrated, the movable top cutter is provided with two groups of cutting blades that coact with two groups of cutting teeth on the stationary cutter, but I wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable to. a razor in which the movable cutter is equipped with only a single group of cutting blades that coact with.

only a single group of cutting teeth on the stationary cutter.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view, illustrating a razor embodying my present invention. t

Figure 2 is an elevational view taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the razor.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-.--@ of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end view with the retaining plate removed so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of the razor;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the retaining plates.

Figures 8 and 9 are elevational views similar to Figures 1 and 2, illustrating another form of my invention.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the razor shown in Figure 8. a

Figure 11 is a top plan view of said razor with the clamping or retaining device removed.

Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line i2-I2 of Figure 10.

Figure 13 isa transverse sectional view taken on the line l3- -{i3 of Figure 10, looking in th direction indicated by the arrows; and 3 view taken on Figure 14 is a perspective view of the clamping or retaining device.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate two forms of my invention, A designates the handle portion of the razor that may be of any pre- I ferred form or shape and which is preferably constructed so as to serve as a housing for an electric motor, vibrator or other source of power (not shown) for operating an actuating device B that imparts movement to a movable cutter which coacts with a stationary cutter. The handle portion A is provided with a switch or other starting device, designated as an entirety by the reference character 0, for starting or controlling the operation of the motor, vibrator or other source of 15 power.

The cutting or shaving apparatus of the razor illustrated in Figures 1 to '7 inclusive is composed of a movable top cutter D arranged so as to contact with the skin being shaved, and a stationary bottom cutter E upon which said movable top cutter is reciprocatingly mounted, the movable top cutter D being of such form or construction that during the shaving operation portions of the skin will be forced positively. through openings, gaps or spaces in said movable cutter and pressed against or caused to contact with the stationary cutter, while cooperating cutting edges on said cutters are coactingwith each other to sever the hair or whiskers flush with the surface of the skin. The stationary bottom cutter E is formed by a member of substantially oblong shape in general outline mounted on the terminal end of the handle portion A of the razor and provided with two spaced, slotted portions i that constitute stationary cutting teeth which coact with the movable cutter D. Usually each of the slotted portions .l of the stationary cutter will be provided with a plurality of parallel slots 2 disposed transversely of said portion and made of such width as to receive the hair or whiskers on the skin but to substantially exclude the skin or prevent it from protruding into the stationary cutter during the shaving operation, to such an extent as to cause the skin to be cut or pinched by the movable cutter. The slots 2 in the stationary cutter are open at their outer ends and the barlike portions 3 of the stationary cutter that lie between the slots 2 are provided at their top sides or faces with sharp corners that constitute cutting teeth t.

The movable top cutter D or the razor is preferably formed by a substantially fiat member reciprocatingly mounted on the top side of the sta tionary cutter and provided with two groups of with the teeth 4 of the stationary cutter to sever or shear the hairs r whiskers .on the skin over which the razor is being moved. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the top face of the stationary'cutter is substantially flat, but the entire area of the top side of the stationary cutter need not be fiat or arranged'in rubbing contact with the movable cutter. As shown in Figure 3, the cutting blades 5 are separated by gaps.

spaces or openings 3: that are bounded or whose side edges are formed by theinclined or beveled edges 5a of the blades 5. The size of the openings or gaps a: in the movable cutter may be varied but I have found that if said gaps :r are provided with open ends or mouths of a width of approximately .075 a .125 of an inch. that the razor will produce a rapid shave and a close shave. The shape of the cutting blades 5 may also be varied but I prefer to make said blades pointed, as shown in Figure 3, so as to producewide-mouthed V-shaped gaps x in the movable cutter having cutting edges that are disposed at an angle to the cutting teeth 4 of the stationary cutter. When the movable cutter is constructed in the manner above described, the top face or side of said cutter which is pressed against the skin during the shaving operation, will cause portions of the skin to be positively forced inwardly through the gaps :c in the movable cutter and pressed against the stationary cutter E whose bar-like portions 3 constitute an abutment surface against which the protruding portions of the skinare pressed while the cutting blades of the movable cutter coact with the teeth 4 of the stationary cutter to cut ofi or sever flush with the skin, the hairs or Whiskers that project inwardly through the slots 2 of the stationary cutter. Inother words, the movement of the movable cutter D over the skin, causes portions of the skin to be fed progressively into and out of the gaps a: in the movable cutter and cause said portions to assume sucha position with relation to the stationary cutter, that the hairs or whiskers on said portions will be quickly and effectively removed therefrom without leaving any upstanding sections of whiskers on the skin. as usually occurs in the use of razors of the dry shaver type in which the skin-contacting portion of the razor, whether it be a. slotted guard or a slotted cutter, is of such design that the skin is positively prevented from contacting with the bottom cutter during the shaving operation. A razor of the above described construction will also efiectively remove the hairs'or whiskers without cutting, nicking. pinching or abrading the skin, due to the fact that the bottom cutter constitutes a stationary abutment surface against which the skin is pressed, but which is constructed so as to substantially exclude the skin and prevent the skin from entering the slots or spaces 2 between the stationary cutting teeth 4 of the bottom cutter.

The movable top cutter D of the razor is guided by a pair of depending portions I thereon located at the ends of said movable cutter and positioned in elongated or open-ended slots 8 formed in the stationary cutter E as shown in Figure 4, the actuating device B which reciprocates the movable cutter D relatively to the stationary cutter, having its end-portion projecting upwardly through an elongated slot 9 inthe stationary cutter E and arranged in engagement with a bifurcated connecting piece III attached to the under-side. of the movable cutter and projecting downwardly into the slot 9 as shown in Figure 4. As is usual in razors of the type to which my invention relates,

any suitable means is provided for holding the coac-ting cutters in yielding engagement with each other. In the. razor illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, the above result is obtained by means of a flat leaf-spring I I whose intermediate portion engages the under-side of the stationary cutter E and whose terminal ends are positioned in notches I2 in the depending guide portions 7 on the movable cutter, the actuating device B projecting upwardly through an elongated slot in the'spring II and said spring being cambered so that it will exert yielding pressure onthe movable cutter in a direction to hold the cutting blades 5 of same in snug engagement with the top sides of the slotted portions I of the stationary cutter E. Obviously, any other type or form of spring might be used to accomplish this result without depart ing from the spirit of my invention.

In order that the hairs or whiskers removed from the skin during the shaving operation will be effectively prevented from dropping downwardly onto the. clothing of the user, the stationary cutter E is provided with collection chambers I3 located directly under the slotted portions I of the stationary cutter, the slots 2 in said portions I being open at their lower ends so that the hairs or whiskers severed by the coacting cutter of the razor will pass directly into the chambers I3 and be confined therein until they are intentionally removed from said chambers. The end wallsof the collection chambers I3 are formed by endplates Id carried by the handle portion of the razor. In the form of my invention herein shown said end plates are attached byinwardly projecting ears or lugs I5 to the terminal end of the handle portion A and are designed so that said end-plates will embrace the ends of the stationary cutter E as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In order to reduce the cost of manufacturing the razor and facilitate the cleaning of same, the

stationary cutter E is formed from a member that is removably mounted on the handle portion A and held in operative position thereon in any suitable way. In the razor herein shown pins or projections I 6 on the ends of the stationary cutter enter-holes II in the end-plates It, said end-plates I4 being resilient enough to permit said plates to be spread suificiently to cause the pins on the stationary cutter to snap into the holes I! in said end-plates. Such a stationary cutter can be manufactured quickly and ate. low cost simply by milling slots in the under-side of an oblong-shaped block of metal so as to form the collection chambers I3, and then cutting parallel slots 2 in the top face of said black so as to form the bar-like portions 3 that constitute the cutting edges 4 of the stationary cutter. 4

The razor illustrated in Figures 8 to 14 inclusive embodies the same desirable characteristics and distinguishing features of the razor, shown in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, but it comprises parts of teeth that coact with the cutting blades of the movable top cutter. In this modified form of my invention the terminal end of the handle portion A of the razor is provided with a pair of stationary guide pins or equivalent devices l8 that project upwardly through holes of practically the same size as said pins formed in the stationary cutter E, and also project upwardly through elongated or open-ended slots IS in the movable top cutter D, said pins l8 performing the dual function of preventingv the stationary cutter E ably greater size, preferably an elongated slot 9,

in the stationary cutter, the terminal end or said actuating device being positioned in a hole in .the

movable cutter D as shown in Figure 12. Thestationary cutter E is clamped firmly against the terminal end of the'handle A, and the movable cutter is maintained in operative relationship with the stationary cutter by a clamping or retaining device designated as an entirety by the reference character F. Said clamping device F is of substantially U-shape in general outline as shown in Figure 14, and is arranged with its horizontal web 20 disposed in overlapping relationship with the movable cutter, and its endlegs or flanges 2| projecting downwardly over the ends of the stationary cutter and detachably connected to the handle A by pins 22 on said handle that enter holes 23 in the depending legs 2| of the clamping device F, said legs having suificient. resiliency to permit them to be snapped over the pins 22. Attached to the'un'der-side of the web piece Zll of said clamping device is a leaf-spring 24 that engages the movable cutter D and exerts pressure onsame in a direction to hold the cutting blades 5 of said movable cutter in yielding engagement with the stationary cutter. Obviously, other suitable means might be employed to hold the cutters in yielding engagement with each other.

A razor of the construction above described can be manufactured and sold at a sufliciently low cost to bring it within the financial reach of practically all persons who use razors,due to its simple design andthe ease with which the parts of same can be machined and assembled. It is a decided improvement upon the various kinds and makes of razors of the dry shaver type now being offered to the public, in that it will produce a rapid shave and a closer shave than it is possible to obtain with conventional dry shaver razors, due to the fact that the movable cutter is arranged so as to contact with the skin and is provided with relatively large gaps and beveledged cutting blades constructed or arranged so that the act of pressing the movable top cutter against the skin and moving it over the same, causes portions of the skin to protrude inwardly through the gaps in the top cutter andthus cause the coacting cutting edges of the razor to be located at a point where they will sever the hairs or whiskers flush with the surface of the skin instead of at a point away from the skin corresponding to the thickness of the skin-contacting portion of the razor. My improved razor has the further desirable characteristic of a being capable of removing hair or whiskers from skin or abrading the skin, due to the fact that it is impossible for the skin to substantially enter the slots in the stationary cutter and thus be pinched by the movable cutter when it reciprocates back and forth over the stationary cutter. While the.

collection chambers l3 in the stationary cutter are, of course, not essential to the successful operation of the razor, they add greatly to its utility because they effectively prevent, the severed portions ofthe hair or whiskers from dropping onto the clothing of theuser.

The termbevel-edged or inclined-edge as herein used, is intended to refer to the crosssectional shape-of the cutting blades and not to the shape or outline of said blades which, in the preferred 'form of my invention, are substantially pointed so as to cause the cutting edges of same to be disposed at an angle to the cutting teeth of the stationary cutter. 4

The width of-the slots in the stationary cutter may vary, but I have found that if said slots are from approximately .004 to .010 of an inch in width, that the razor will operate satisfactorily.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A razor of the dry shaver type, provided with a stationary cutter formed by a substantial rectangular-shaped fiat member whose top face is slotted so as toform cutting teeth and whose under-side is, grooved so as to form a collection chamber for the hairs or whiskers removed during the shaving operation, and a top cutter formed by a fiat member reciprocatingly mounted on said stationary cutter and provided with beveledged or inclined-edged cutting blades separated by gaps of a width sufiicient to permit the skin to easily protrudethrough the same and contact the slotted portion of the stationary cutter, said slotted portion being constructed so as to exclude the skin.

2. A razor of the dry shaver type, provided with a stationary cutter having slotted portions constructed so as to substantially exclude the skin 4 but to be capable of receiving the hair or whiskers on the skin, a movable cutter formed'bya substantially flat member reciprocatingly,mounted on said stationary cutter and provided with beveled-edged or inclined-edged cutting blades separated by gaps of a suiiicient size to insure portions of the skin protruding inwardly through said gaps and contacting with the slotted por tions of the stationary cutter, depending devices on said movable cutter positioned in elongated guiding openings in the stationary cutter, and a resilient means that coacts with said depending portions and with the stationary cutter, for holding the two cutters in yielding engagement with each other.

3. A razor of the kind described in claim 2,

having a handle equipped with retaining means constructed so as to receive and hold the sta-.

tionary cutter.

4. A razor of the dry shaver type comprising a stationary cutter provided with two groups of cutting teeth arranged in spaced relationship, a movable cutter formed by a substantially flat member reciprocatingly mounted on said stationary cutter and provided with bevel-edged cutting blades that coact with the cutting teeth of the stationary cutter, said blades being separated by gaps or openings of such width that in the shaving operation portions of the skin will freely enter said gaps and contact with the stationary cutter, a handle provided at its terminal end with parts that pass through holes in the stationary cutter and enter elongated openings in detachably connected to the handle, and a spring the movable cutter for the purpose of guiding combined with said clamping device for holding the movable cutter and preventing the stationary the cutters in yielding engagement with each cutter from turning or twisting relatively to the other.

handle, a clamping device arranged inoverlap- LOYD SCRUGGS. 5

ping relationship with the movable cutter and 

